IF EVER you needed proof that we’re addicted to football then the pre-season friendly would be the prime piece of evidence.

In David Moyes’ first summer at the Blues they defeated SC Weiz 10-2. What did that actually mean though? A result like that had no real bearing on the nine months ahead in the Premier League.

When would you get a score like that in a real match? Everton haven’t been involved in a competitive game in which a side scored double figures since they were mauled 10-4 at White Hart Lane in Bill Nicholson’s first game in charge almost 53 years ago.

Similarly, overpowering the aptly named Austrian minnows Bad Goisern 7-0 the following summer did not point to any great days ahead. The Blues would finish the campaign in a lowly 17th spot with just 39 points.

On the flip side, Moyes’ men were turned over at Crewe on the eve of the 2004/05 campaign yet went on to achieve a best ever Premier League finish of fourth.

Try as you like, you can’t pretend that these glorified fitness sessions have any significant impact on the proper stuff ahead next month.

Another of those Austrian whipping boys Gamlitz were on the receiving end of a 9-0 spanking in 2005 when a certain Per Kroldrup helped himself to a debut goal. You’ve got to wonder just who some of these sides are.

Do they just gather around some of the staff at the Alpine resort they’re staying at? Maybe the opposition were actually playing in lederhosen and wearing little hats with feathers in?

Yet after being starved of football for a couple of months – especially in an odd-numbered non-tournament year like now when we’ve been forced to get by on a summer diet of the Under-17s World Cup and Women’s World Cup (England even got knocked out of that on penalties) we can’t wait to get our fix and excitedly hurry down to whichever lower division North West ground the ‘action’ is at.

Following the initial burst of anticipation – these days there aren’t even any new signings to thrill the fans – the next emotion is almost always one of anti-climax.

Often the determined journeyman clogger hosts are well up for their ‘cup final’ and boosted by being ‘a week ahead in their fitness levels’ they turn over the half-hearted big boys who are just chugging along, going through the motions.

On a good day, class will show through and going back again to Moyes’ first summer at the Blues, they strolled to a 3-0 success at Shrewsbury in the July sunshine. However, when they returned there for an FA Cup third round tie the following January they fell victim to the biggest giant-killing in the club’s history.

Moyes has established several old favourites when it comes to pre-season fare.

In regards to foreign trips, Moyes loves nothing more than going Stateside. It’s not ‘proper’ abroad. They speak English, the facilities and accommodation are first class and the food isn’t dodgy – providing his dedicated pros stay clear of burger bars and crispy creme donuts.

Closer to home there are the aforementioned jaunts to lower division grounds that are less than an hour’s drive away. Last night was Everton’s fourth trip to Bury under the Scot. As for Davey’s old club Preston, he’s been back there with Everton five times. Maybe that’s got something to do with him actually still living in the city.

The true beauty of pre-season games is going somewhere you’d never normally play a match.

Perhaps the most colourful pre-season jaunts of the Moyes era would have been the missing friendlies – the ones that got away.

Just a couple of months after taking the Everton job, he was set to take his side to China to face Shandong and Shenzhen but the trip was cancelled because of the SARS epidemic. Also, in 2009 the Blues were poised to make their debut appearance in Sub Saharan Africa against the Ghanians Asante Kotoko only for it to fall through.

Here’s hoping for a ticket to cross the Atlantic, Amazon and Andes if a return match against CD Everton of Chile ever comes to fruition.